3 Stirring up a Phenomena!
After managing to relentlessly persuade his older brother to leave him alone and focus on himself, Li Cheng returned to his room.
Despite being a cultivator, Li Cheng's room was far from what is minimalistic and was essentially very similar to his room back in the branch family.
The walls hung immortal paintings of divine beasts, immortals, and beautiful scenery. Room furnished with a stylish marble table in the middle for the occasional dining with his brother, two large bookshelves brimmed with books, and a comfy, silky bed crafted using the hides of a pheasant beast.
It was only the size of a bedroom due to the thousands of disciples the sect needed to make room for, but for a cultivator that was considered sufficient.
Actually for an inner-disciple, this room-size treatment was quite lacking as some had rooms as large as two living rooms. That was because Li Cheng was just an ordinary inner-disciple. His talents were overall mediocre whether it was cultivation, alchemy, arts, etc.
He didn't have any particular area that he could be considered good at. At least for the standard required for the Li Sect. Li Cheng was satisfied though as he knew the basics, in fact, he had a 'talent' in being able to do the basics of everything.
Many of the disciples were all over the place. They could be really good at one thing such as forging weapons, but be horrible at drawing formations.
Li Cheng had to owe to his previous life of doing various jobs and the Li Clan's strict teaching for that.
In the cultivation world, Li Cheng believed this was perfect in being low-key. Not trash to the point that he would be bullied and humiliated, but not talented enough to be stood out. The middle-ground was the perfect buffer from these 'threats'.
Unfortunately, as a transmigrator, trouble still came to his door because of his brother. While he wasn't 'skilled' in everything like him, he was considered a genius in cultivating and was quite skilled in martial arts. He was very popular, and this meant Li Cheng did suffer some humiliation from comparison and jealousy.
Li Cheng jumped into his bed and after relieving some stress, he muttered to himself,
"For the current moment, my brother should be fine. There have been no signs of any abnormalities. The system said that as his cultivation grows and he ages the devilish blood would thicken and then there would be a risk. Either way, although not ideal, at least I have those 4 solutions."
He glazed over the many overpowered treasures he had and sighed. "All of this and such a problem can't be perfectly solved."
Li Cheng's eyes narrowed and sharpened. "It's time to make use of this."
[Experimental #5 Miniature Primordial World x1]
[The 5th experimental miniature world that was created by Immortal Scholar Song Shirong to reflect a snippet of the world of the Primordial Era. An era after the beginning bringing forth the emergence of the first True Gods and Immortals. This world absolutely could not be considered a replica to reflect those times. It's merely a snow globe of nature's scenery without any true sentient or intelligent life.]
'System is this portable?'
[Indeed.]
'Are you sure?' Li Cheng sceptically examined the image he was shown.
The inside was outstanding, but the exterior was an ominous, ghastly, twisted vortex. It gave off the impression that anything near it would be sucked into it like a black hole and never be heard of for eternity.
Could this actually be held in one's hands? It was about the size of what one would imagine a portal would be.
[Its exterior size can be manipulated to an extent. Furthermore, it can be moved freely in and out of the System and in some pocket dimensions such as interspatial rings or pouches. As for holding it, there is no problem.]
'Even if there are living beings in it?'
[Indeed.]
'Extremely convenient and broken. I could even hide in the world! As long as I place this world in an inconspicuous location, then nobody would be able to ever find me!'
'As expected from the Legendary System!'
Ding!
Ding!
'...System, what exactly are you?'
*Silence*
'Are you human?'
…
…
*Silence*
'One day you will provide me with some answers!'
With a kick of his foot, he sprung up from his bed.
"I need to find a location to use this…"
The usual spot in the city outskirts would be most ideal. Since coming to Deepthorn city and having found that place to be equivalent to a secret base, he has never had anyone besides his brother find him there. No beasts, just a few small critters.
"Ah!"
A light bulb lit up above his head. Actually he can still use that spot.
***
Li Cheng steadied his eyes on his small temple of powerful entities and smiled. He blew away the burning incense sticks and mumbled,
"Ah, those 3 years of offerings, poverty, and spirit stones really paid off."
It took him almost 3 months to get this temple prepared because of the required craftsmanship. If those sculptures weren't adequately made, then would his ritual actually work?
He didn't think so!
The most gruelling part was doing this all behind his brother's back. The process even required a middleman he wasn't acquainted with to make sure he doesn't get stabbed in the back through the spill of beans.
System: "…"
Li Cheng made sure that the bushes were back into place. Then he surveyed the surroundings making sure that nobody was in sight.
Although his brother might come here, he has never seen his temple before so the coast would be clear.
Extending his arm out, he reached out to the void of space.
RUMBLE!
RUMBLE!
RUMBLE!
The sunny sky was enveloped with a curtain of terrifying darkness. Roars of the Heavens grumbled the skies of the Southern Province of the Ming Empire. Many powerful cultivators and beasts in flight were struck into descent from shock! Whimpering and cries of the mortals echoed the end of the world.
In Deepthorn, the phenomenon was so great that solely the roars of Heaven could be heard.
"Blurghh!"
The Li Ancestor hidden deep in the ancestral halls of the Li Sect puked out a puddle of blood. A surge of pain swelled his insides and his face contorted to that which resembled a devil. With a fling of his hand, a strange, black pill appeared, and then disappeared into the Li Ancestor's mouth.
Quickly, he shut his eyes and focused on digesting the pill. Although he wanted to find out what had happened, he was in no condition to.
In fact, such actions were similar to everyone deep in their cultivation. Some unlucky ones were suffering from Qi deviation. Fortunately, the majority of people were only shocked awake as they were not truly deep in their cultivation practice.
"Fuck!!"
Using a nearby branch as support, Li Cheng tried to balance himself. In his hand was the cause of this chaos.
'System! You did not warn me this was going to happen!'
Ding!
[Apologies, this level of phenomena was somewhat unexpected. System has determined it must be because of this time's laws and inability to handle such artefacts being exposed into this secular realm.]
'System! Will people be able to trace the source?'
[No. Cultivators of this realm are too weak. However, the highest of cultivators here will be able to have some sense of where it occurred. Though they will be unable to track it down.]
"Shit!"
Immediately, Li Cheng responded by taking out an extremely powerful illusory field known as the Three Realms Illusion. It was in the same Treasure section as the Experimental #5 Miniature Primordial World, but time was against him.
[Three Realms Illusion x3]
[A treasured scroll made by a Celestial Immortal illusionist of unparalleled mastery. The Three Realms Illusion is a consumable marvel that weaves the fabric of reality itself. When activated, it unfolds an intricate tapestry of illusion, meticulously replicating the entire surrounding area on a colossal scale—stretching as vast as a small continent. The efficacy of this wondrous illusion, however, is intricately tied to the adeptness of the user's sea of consciousness and spiritual sense. The greater the cultivator's mental prowess, the more intricate and convincing the illusion becomes, allowing for unparalleled feats of deception, concealment, and strategic advantage.]
Although it was a consumable and he only had 2 left, it remained permanent unless somehow destroyed, or he wished for it to be removed.
RUMBLE!
A tumultuous symphony of thunder erupted, its deafening resonance surpassing the previous rumblings. Li Cheng's eardrums reverberated with a persistent ringing, and a subtle weariness draped over him. The once brooding clouds above deepened in their darkness, weaving an even denser obsidian tapestry against the sky.
When Li Cheng looked above, he felt his legs go weak and his legs plopped to the ground. He was in a moment of stupor from the fear.
The skies were absolutely terrifying.
Perhaps it was because of the presence of the scroll in his hands, he was able to eventually regain his consciousness.
"Fuck!"
With shaking legs, he stood up as he tried to forget the terrifying, monstrous skies above his head. At the same time, he put his attention to the scroll.
Li Cheng was awed and his movements stopped. His legs subconsciously raising himself as he took a good look at the treasured scroll.
It seemed to be crafted through some kind of ethereal bamboo, the scroll is adorned with delicate paintings depicting the realms of heaven, earth, and man. Inked with iridescent hues, the scroll exudes an otherworldly glow, symbolising the cosmic dance between the three realms. Its edges are inscribed with ancient celestial runes, pulsating softly as if alive.
After taking a look, Li Cheng realised there was a serious problem.
He couldn't read it at all...
Just as he was about to panic, the System chimed in.
Ding!
[As a friendly gesture, the System decided to provide you the incantation to activate the scroll.]
"T-thank you," Li Cheng hoarsely said.
Taking a deep breathe, Li Cheng mustered courage.
Slowly, and sternly he chanted:
In the tapestry of the cosmos, illusions softly gleam;
Upper, middle, lower, a celestial artist's dream;
Brush of immortal echoes, reality's fragile seam;
Scroll, unfurl the mirage, in the three realms' silent stream.
As Li Cheng uttered the incantation with a rhythmic cadence, the atmosphere itself seemed to shimmer and waver. The scroll responded to the call of the celestial artist's dream. The surroundings unfolded into a silent inconspicuous awe-inspiring spectacle, a colossal tapestry of illusion that stretched as vast as a small continent.
The once familiar landscape transformed, becoming an intricately woven mirage that played tricks on the senses. Every detail, from the gentle rustling of leaves to the distant silhouette of mountains, replicated with an ethereal precision. Li Cheng found himself standing at the nexus of this otherworldly creation, the illusions softly gleaming in the tapestry of the cosmos.
Yet, the effectiveness of this grand illusion was intimately entwined with Li Cheng's mental prowess. As his sea of consciousness and spiritual sense synchronized with the celestial artist's brush, the illusion gained depth and authenticity. It whispered of upper, middle, and lower realms, reality's fragile seam now an immersive dreamscape.
Li Cheng felt like his mind was experiencing the most horrible hangover; he was about to be crushed by the weight of his own devised illusion. Attempting to create a tapestry of illusion to the size of this continent with his abilities? Truly a frog in a well.
Absolutely contemptible.
Li Cheng quickly understood his limits and detracted his exploit to the limits of what he was familiar with: Deepthorn City.
In fact, the illusion only stretched to a part of the city, which were areas near these outskirts.
It took fifteen minutes of Li Cheng's full concentration for him to finally stablise the illusion.
Wiping the beads of sweat from his dizzy, soaked forehead, Li Cheng said with difficulty, "As expected from a Celestial Immortal illusionist... this illusion is almighty." As the caster, he could tell that in the illusion, the scenery was exactly the same. The only difference was that he wasn't present and the temple he built wasn't there.
"It can't be considered a waste and doing this saved me the trouble of hiding this place but…"
Coldly, he stared at the outside and whispered, "I hope nobody found out…"
Naturally, he did not attempt to do anything with the miniature world and put it away after interrogating with the System. All of his focus was on watching the reality and scouting out for anything that may spell trouble.
50 minutes had passed in total, but it seemed like he was fortunate enough that nobody had noticed.
The phenomena had also disappeared by then.
'This won't occur again right, System?'
[No. But some of the treasures you obtain from the starter package may trigger a similar phenomena.]
He had first hand experience with this.
'If I took out the treasures in the miniature world…?'
[The miniature world you hold is independent from the realm and world. Thus, the phenomena may or may not occur there.]
'So nothing would happen in the actual world I'm living in?'
[Indeed.]
'Phew. I should take this as a lesson to be more careful.'
Li Cheng was a bookworm after coming into this world. The alien histories, cultures, and society forced him to studiously learn and adapt. Maybe it was due to the crazy retention and ability to absorb knowledge cultivators had he found the labour enjoyable. It was now a fun hobby.
He fully embraced the quote "Knowledge is power" and would frequently stop by the Li Sect's Library to borrow a book. He even had notebooks in his spacial ring which detailed things that were deemed necessities or beneficial for him to look over.
One of the pieces of knowledge in his repository was about abnormal phenomenons that have a grand effect in the world. It was only until moments after experiencing the phenomena that it surfaced in his mind.
'Thankfully besides scaring the shit out of all cultivators, the System said it was unlikely for any long-lasting effects to occur in the world. I just hope that I don't attract any old monsters.'
Li Cheng took out the miniature world and tilted his head up.
The sky remained unmoved. It was hard to believe a day as bright and sunny had just experienced an earth-shattering storm.
Relaxed, Li Cheng placed down the portal. Surprisingly, the miniature world worked with the image in his mind. It hovered a foot above the ground and expanded to a portal to the size of an adult male.
"Amazing."
Li Cheng entered the portal, feeling the world warp and distort.
FLASH!
"HOLY!"
Li Cheng's mouth was agape and his eyes were sparkling with a child's innocent wonder.
Welcoming Li Cheng was a luxuriant, exotic, jungle-like forest. Sprawling trees stretched and mingled, fighting to bathe in the golden rays. Shrubberies clumped against the strange flowers unwilling to let their charm be unseen.
Li Cheng took a step, gripped by the strong claws of the emerald mattress, he reflexively ankled up to inspect his feet. Rich soils clung to his white skin, but was surprised at the absence of the thick greens.
Having a short circle around the glade, he felt the pores of his feet brush and comb. Soft moans leaked from his lips, unknowingly deepening his feet for a stronger massage.
The Qi in his dantian, which refers to the region in the body where a person's Qi is concentrated, stirred and giddied in excitement, frantically gobbling the the spiritual energy of heaven and earth. Never had his dantian ever experienced such riches.
'Ahh I'm going to breakthrough!'
He dived into a meditative pose; disposition sharpened into a cultivator. He carefully guided the Qi to flow from the dantian, through the meridians, and back into the dantian in a cycle.
This was the process of Qi Circulation.
Maybe because the energy was new to him, it took him a while, clumsily doing his best to guide himself into making a breakthrough.
Woosh!
A slight gust of wind swooshed outwards from Li Cheng. Following that, his closed eyes opened to reveal crystal-clear, black eyes.
"I made a breakthrough from the early late stage to the peak of the Qi Condensation stage. It would've taken me perhaps a year to get there with the steady pace I was going."
Li Cheng sighed, a little lost. Now he was not considered one of the average disciples but a talented one.
He clearly underestimated the Qi of this miniature world. It was much more profound and rich despite being something that couldn't even be considered a replica. Not even the exclusive cultivation rooms of the Li Ancestor himself could compare.
What's done is done. Li Cheng determined that he would try to spend as little time as possible here. He also tried to prevent the spiritual energy from entering his body, but some of it was bound to sneak in.
"Now it's time to establish the Legendary Sect!"
